Metal wool.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

A., SHEDLOGK.

METAL WOOL.

APPLICATION FILED .TAN.13,1906. RENEWED 0OT.6,1907.

WITNESSES A TTOHNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SHEDLOQK, OF JERSE? CITY, NEW JERSEY.

METAL WOOL.

Specification o! Lettorl Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed. January 18, 1906, Serial No.295,864. Renewed October 6, 1907. Serial No. 896,021.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SHEDLOOK, a

" citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, county of Hudson, State of New J ersey, have invented an Improved Metal Wool,

of which the following is a specification.

The roduct constituting the subject matter of t is invention is metal wool composed of an assemblage of more or less intertwined or interlaced, or aggregated crimped filaments produced in a manner in WlllCll fibers of metal wool have not heretofore been made and which have, as metal wool filaments, characteristics never before known. The grain of the metal of which the are composed is parallel, or substantial y so, with the len ths of the filaments; and is in substantially the same condition as when the metal is in the form of rolled thin sheets. The fibers are produce by severin a rolled thin sheet of metal in lines paralle or substantiall so, with the grain of the metal. The thic ess of the filaments is the same as the thickness of the metal sheet from which they are cut, their width is determined by the spaces between the parallel cuts, and they are crim ed or transversely corrugated. When a rolle thin sheet of metal is d vided into a pluralit of filaments by cuts parallel, or substantialy so, with the rain of the metal the grain is not material y disturbed. Crimping of the filaments adds to their elasticity and does not impair their character.

The advantages of a metal wool of this character are: that it does not crumble or break, each filament retaining the characteristics of the metal in the original sheet, although the metal is somewhat hardened by the shearing and crimping operations and the filaments have, therefore, the elastic or resilient qualities of the sheet from which they are out, such qualities being sli htl emphasized by the o erations to whic h the metal is subjecter Filaments of this character may be readily distinguished under a glass, or even by the naked eye, from metal wool filaments heretofore produced by planing or turning operations.

Metal wool such as I have described is primarily intended for,applying lubricant to car axle journals, cotton waste or other absorbent or capillary material being mixed with it.

In the accompanying drawing: Figures 1 and 2 show a crnn ed metal filament of the character described Fig. 3 indicates a mass of such filaments mixed or intertwined and forming a mass of what is known as metal wool; and Fig. 4 shows such metal wool mixed with cotton waste.

The crimped or transversely corrugated filament a formed as above described is characterized by the fact that the grain of the metal, from which it is cut, is undisturbed; and the filament, therefore, possesses the elasticity, non-brittleness and life of the metal in sheet form. In practice, I have formed such filaments from rolled thin sheets of steel.

In Fig. 4, (1. indicates the metal wool and b cotton waste mixed therewith.

In practice, I have made this metal wool from metal sheets of from three to nine onethousandths of an inch thickness, the filaments being cut to a width of about twenty vone-thousandths of an inch.

The thickness and width of the metal filaments are determined, respectively, by the stock used and the out: and maybe such as to ada t the material to desired uses. I have a ove given dimensions of filaments produced by me. The may, however, .be made of materially smal er dimensions if desired.

The filaments are formed by passing a sheet of metal between olpposed gangs of rotary circular cutters. he rotar circular ,cutters of the two gangs are s ace by circular washers respectivel of t e same thickness as the immediate y opposite cutter of the other gang, and are so arranged that the cutters in one gang enter the spaces between cutters in the other sufiiciently to insure that contiguous edges of the cutters shall c0oper ate to sever the sheet by rolling shearing cuts. Each out therefore forms the contiguous edges of parallel filaments, there being as many filaments as there are cutters in the two angs. A machine for so cutting sheet meta into filaments is disclosed in my ap lication filed December 31, 1906, Serial o. 350,240. The metal sheet bein thus 'divided (without waste) into paralle filaments by parallel shearing cuts, the oppositecut sides of each filament are identical in kind and h sical condition, the fiber of the sheet meta l being substantially undisturbed; and the other op osite sides have the smoothness or flatness oi the sheet from which they are out. When metal filaments are made 1b planing or turning, the thrust of the cutting tool tears and displaces the fibers of the metal in a way that does not occur in the roduction of the metal wool herein claimed. lhe crimping may be effected by corrugated rolls between which the filaments pass as they leave the cutters. Exce t for the crimping the wool herein descri ed is disclosed and claimed in my application No. 295,853, filed January 15, 1906.

I claim A metal wool com osed of transversely crimped filaments eac having two opposite faces of the character of rolled sheet metal,

and two opposite cut faces identical inland see, 124

with respect to the fibers of the metal, the

filaments respectively bein characterized by the fact that the grain of t e metal is parallel, or substantially so, with the length of the filaments and substantially in the condition in which such grain exists in rolled thin sheets of the .metal.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALFRED SHEDLOCK. Witnesses:

11.1 BROWNING, EDWARD (.3. DAVIDSON. 

